Old Film Reviews: One-Armed Swordsman

May 28, 2015May 28, 2015 David F. Walker

Originally published at BadAzz Mofo

The Shaw Brothers studio in Hong Kong was responsible for producing some of the greatest Wushu martial arts films of all time. In the 1970s kung fu flicks flooded American drive-in theaters and grindhouses, and some of the most memorable films came courtesy of Shaw Brothers. But the style and genre of film most Americans associate with Shaw Brothers was relatively new to the studio, part of a new generation Wushu films that was ushered in during the 1960s with titles like the seminal classic One-Armed Swordsman.

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Gone Too Soon, Martial Arts, Movies3 Comments

Run Run Shaw and the Impact of Kung Fu Movies on Black America

January 9, 2014April 2, 2015 David F. Walker

Originally posted at BadaAzz Mofo

Earlier this week, Run Run Shaw, co-founder of the legendary Shaw Brothers Studios, died at the age of 106. Shaw Brothers was responsible for some of the greatest kung fu movies of all time, and introduced the genre to American audiences in the 1970s with their film Five Fingers of Death. In my new book, Becoming Black: Personal Ramblings on Racial Identification, Racism, and Popular Culture, I discuss the impact of Shaw Brothers, Bruce Lee, and kung fu movies in the essay “To Be Chinese, Or Not To Be.”

Here is an excerpt:

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